NRAMP1 and TNF‐α polymorphisms and susceptibility to tuberculosis in Thais

OBJECTIVE AND BACKGROUND: Polymorphisms in the natural resistance-associated macrophage protein gene 1 (NRAMP1) and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha gene have been found to be associated with susceptibility to tuberculosis in different populations. However, the results are inconsistent. This study aimed to determine whether NRAMP1 and TNF-alpha variants are associated with tuberculosis in Thais. METHODS: Polymorphisms of NRAMP1 at INT4, D543N and the 3' untranslated region, and of TNF-alpha at +488, -238, and -308, were examined in 149 tuberculosis patients and 147 healthy controls. PCR using sequence-specific oligonucleotides and sequence-specific priming were used to genotype the NRAMP1 and TNF polymorphisms, respectively. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the distribution of the genotype frequencies for the NRAMP1 and TNF-alpha polymorphisms between the patients and controls. CONCLUSIONS: The NRAMP1 and TNF-alpha genes are not associated with susceptibility to tuberculosis in Thais.